Risk Factors for Contamination of Pesticide Residues in Women's Breast Milk Farmers in Agricultural Areas

Abstract

Pesticides are all chemicals, and other materials, including bodies and viruses, serve as controls for pests and weeds' growth. Acute and chronic pesticide exposure can harm human health and affect the environment. The vulnerable group to pesticide exposure is female farmers, especially breastfeeding, due to pesticides' lipophilic characteristics. This study aimed to identify the pesticide residue contamination in women farmers' breast milk in agricultural areas and analyze the risk factors. In the study, we use quantitative descriptive as its method with a cross-sectional approach. A sample of 10 female farmers was selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data on risk factors were obtained by interview using a questionnaire, and pesticide residues in breast milk were measured by GC-MS/MS and LCMS/MS. Spearman rank correlation tests and ordinal logistic regression are used to analyze data. The results showed that all of the respondents' breast milk was contaminated with organochlorine pesticide (p'p DDE) with a concentration of > 0.001 mg/kg. Statistical test results prove that nutritional status / BMI with pesticide residue concentration has a significant relationship (p-value = 0.000). In conclusion, excess body mass index is a risk factor for pesticide residue contamination in female farmers in agricultural areas